This invention generally relates to elevator systems. More particularly, this invention relates to an elevator rope guide system for restricting the swaying of main ropes in a high rise building.
Elevator systems are useful for carrying passengers between various levels in a building, for example. There are various known types of elevator systems. Different design considerations dictate what type of components are included in an elevator system. For example, elevator systems in high rise buildings have different requirements than those for buildings that include only a few floors.
One issue that is present in many high rise buildings is a tendency to experience rope sway under various conditions. Rope sway may occur, for example, during earthquakes or very high wind conditions because the building will move responsive to the earthquake or high winds. As the building moves, long ropes associated with the elevator car and counterweight will tend to sway from side to side. Excessive rope sway conditions are undesirable for two main reasons; they can cause damage to the ropes or other equipment in the hoistway and their motion can produce objectionable vibration levels in the elevator car.
One elevator rope guide system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,051 issued on May 30, 1972. This patent discloses a cable stabilizer for an open shaft elevator which comprises a guide member through which the cables of the elevator pass and a pair of stops carried on the guide rails so as to prevent the guide member from dropping below an intermediate location. This cable stabilizer may work for an outdoor elevator or an elevator in a low rise building but is not adequate for a high rise building with longer ropes.
In view of the above and other considerations, there is a need for an elevator rope guide system for use with an elevator system in a high rise building.